add salt

[Seefdro Tvneik]

The waste factor is numbero uno for sure.....But do you believe salt has any benefits for koi? If so do you think my routine is helpful or simply a waste of money and time? During the winter I like to raise my salt levels higher...WHY because I believe during the winter here in Michigan there immune systems needs the extra portection. I thought salt may benefit cold water conditions. Futhermore, I thought water would would turn to ice at a slightly lower temperature. Again if this is a waste of time and money tell me why. Thanks again.........

[REC]

As you can see, the use of salt in a koi pond system is a "religious" issue. But there are some unassailable facts about salt and koi... here are just a few:

1. salt, or more specifically chloride, is a physiological requirement of the fish to the extent that koi and goldfish are equipped with special cells in their gills called "chloride pumps" that do nothing but process chloride out of the water. Inside the fish, chloride is used to transfer waste out of the fish (simplistic view). Wanna do a nasty experiment?? Place a koi or cold in distilled water and see what happens to it. But don't walk away from it...

2. All natural freshwater has some level of chloride in it, ranging from .02 to .1% depending on where you live. City water tends to have lower amounts as this is "processed" water rather than natural.

3. The most beneficial use of salt is as a tonic for stressed fish. The increase in chloride in the water reduces the osmotic pressure gradient between the fish and the water and this allows the fish to "breathe" easier.

4. NEVER.... NEVER use salt above .1% in cold water. Increased salt levels in freshwater reduce the temperature at which freshwater reaches maximum density. From physics we know that freshwater reaches max density at 39.2 degrees. In a well designed system (depth-volume, etc.) this means that the water should get no colder than 39 degrees at depth. Increased chloride levels will reduce the max density temp and ultimately adversely affect our fish. There is a fine line between survival and death in cold water and we don't want to disrupt it with added chloride. Even a degree or two F can have an impact.

Just a couple of added points on salt...

REC

[Seefdro Tvneik]

Thanks for the info.....

[dinh]

Great thread. How about Epsom Salt? Have you used Epsom Salt for any treatment?

[REC]

Epsom salt is actually magnesium sulfate. If you read some of the goldfish health boards, you can find where it is used to "successfully" treat dropsy... Yeah, right... the theory being that Epsom salt will help extract the toxins from the fish much in the same way it will reduce edema in mammalian tissue. This is a prime example of how old wives tales about human health get translated into koi health... there are more.. but this one really stands out.

Anyway.... it doesn't work on dropsy or anything else. What it is good for is raising the GH levels of ponds in a pinch. While I think we all agree that calcium is the best of the hard minerals we need in our ponds, a little magnesium never hurt anyone. Magnesium, however, will not work to stabilize the carbonates in developing ponds where the pH is holding above 9 or higher. For this you need calcium. But that is a different chemistry lesson all together.

So, the short answer is: I see no value in epsom salts as a medical treatment for koi.

REC